opera/music theatre Competitions & Call for pieces

The Herne Hill Music Festival is looking for a composer interested in writing a musical suitable for performance by primary school pupils (Year 6 probably) in the October 2018 Festival. The musical would need to last for about an hour, and to be based on a story which would engage pupils of that age. In 2017 we will be performing The Frankenstein Teacher, by Simon Speare from the story by Tony Bradman. See our web site for details:

We want to perform a musical for 2018 along similar lines, involving a substantial number of pupils as singers and instrumentalists, supplemented by professionals in key roles.

The project is subject to reaching agreement of a local primary school, and to obtaining grant funding. We expect funding to be confirmed or not by Easter 2018, with the musical available for rehearsals from the start of September 2018.

Composers interested should email their CV, any suggests for a story for the musical, and a statement of the reasons for their interest, to:

Objectives of the Competition: Creating a forum for and drawing attention to new "popular operas" conceived in the spirit of the Artistic Manifesto of Bartók Plus Opera Festival, that are capable of luring back large audiences to the opera house.
Eligibility of Applicants: Any natural persons who are contemporary composers can submit their work to the competition, irrespective of their nationality, country of residence or age. The competition is not “anonymous” - one can only apply with full name and address.

Advertiser of the Competition: Miskolci Operafesztivál Nonprofit Kft. (Seat: 3525 Miskolc, Déryné u. 1; Reg. No: Cg: 05-09-016624, represented by Beáta Farkas, managing director). The Advertiser intends to advertise the Competition on a yearly basis, in accordance with its means and purposes, first in the year 2012.
Works to be submitted: Completed Work not yet performed on stage with an orchestra. There are no restrictions concerning the topic, language and the length of the Work. One composer can submit several Works and several authors can submit one joint Work.

Preliminary Registration and the Application Process: Application is possible by submitting the Application Form downloaded from the website. In the course of Preliminary Registration, this Application Form should be sent to the email address composersecretary@gmail.com. Completion of each point of the Application Form is mandatory.

Submission of the Work: Application documents can only be sent by way of postal delivery.

The following information should be indicated on the envelope, postal parcel etc.
• The name of the Advertiser: Miskolci Operafesztivál Nonprofit Kft.
• Its postal address: Miskolci Operafesztivál Nonprofit Kft., 3501 Miskolc, Pf. 634
• The name of the Competition: “Key to the Future” – Opera Composition Competition
• The Sender, in other words the Applicant
•
Materials to be submitted:
1., The full score of the Work on paper and electronic media.
2., A synopsis of the Work summarising the story in maximum 1 page in A/4 format.
3., The duly signed original copy of the Application Form.
4., The banking document verifying transfer of the Application Fee to Advertiser’s bank account.

In addition to the Work (score) Applicants may choose to submit (non-mandatory):
• The Orchestral Part of the Work, but in case the Work is shortlisted for the Finals, within 5 working days from the receipt of the notification thereof; Applicant shall submit the finished Orchestral Part to the Advertiser by electronic mail.
• Any other Sound Recording.

Professional pre-selection: Works will be judged by a professional Jury consisting of 4-7 experts. The Jury will select 3 or more of the submitted Works that they consider to be most in compliance with the principles of the Artistic Manifesto of Bartók Plus Opera Festival. These Works shall be the Finalists in the competition.

The decision of the professional Jury and the list of the Works shortlisted for the Finals shall be published on 1st October, 2018, on the www.operafesztival.hu website.

Advertiser shall have Works shortlisted for the Finals performed at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in partially staged versions with piano accompaniment in the fourth quarter of the year 2018.
The Jury will select and Advertiser will announce the winning Work from the pieces performed in the Finals at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music.

The Winner will be announced on the www.operafesztival.hu website within 1 working day following the performance at the Academy.

Advertiser will present the entire winning Work in a fully staged opera performance with orchestra at the festival in Miskolc in the year following that of the Competition. Advertiser, however, is not obliged to have the winning Work performed at the Miskolc Opera Festival.

Prizes and Usage Rights: Each Work shortlisted for the Finals will be awarded 1500 EUR.

The winning Work will be awarded additional sum of 4000 EUR and the Advertiser will use its means and purposes to present this Work in a fully staged complete opera performance, at the Bartók Plus Opera Festival the following year.

Usage rights of the Works are treated in detail in the Competition Call:

All payments related to the Competition Prizes shall be effectuated until 31st January, 2019. Payment of all prizes shall be effectuated by Advertiser to the bank accounts specified in the Application Form. Taxation shall be in accordance with the legal regulations effective with respect to the Applicants’ nationality or country of residence.

Further questions about the Competition, Participation Criteria or Application Documents can be addressed to: Sára Szakács, Competition Secretary, at the following email address: composersecretary@gmail.com.

Sarasota Opera is pleased to invite composers to submit works for a new opera for possible production in November 2017 by Sarasota Youth Opera, one of the most comprehensive programs in the United States.

This invitation is open to any living composer or librettist, of any age, who is a United States citizen.

The submission deadline is Wednesday, September 30, 2015, at 5 pm.

Click HERE to download submission form

About Sarasota Youth Opera:

Since 1984, Sarasota Youth Opera (SYO) has given young people age 8 to 18 an opportunity to experience the magic of opera through participation in after-school choruses, Sarasota Opera mainstage productions, summer workshops, and the Youth Opera's own full-scale productions.

Regarded as a leader in the commissioning and producing of works for young voices, SYO is the only program in the United States committed to presenting annual, full-scale opera productions for young voices with professional musicians, direction, and costume and scenic design.

Since 1986, five commissioned world premieres and over 20 additional youth opera productions have been presented. Past commissions include:

Our most recent commission, Little Nemo in Slumberland, featured over 106 young people and used a ground-breaking projection technology called SCRIBE (Self-Contained Rapidly Integratable Background Environment) to bring Winsor McCay’s comic strips to life. Since it’s 2012 premiere, Little Nemo in Slumberland has been performed by The University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, Tulsa Youth Opera, La Sierra University, and Pittsburgh High School for the Performing Arts.

In November 2014, SYO presented Dean Burry’s The Hobbit. Based on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, this classic adventure was brought to life with a cast of over 95 young people and 12 professional musicians on the stage of the Sarasota Opera House.

Both Little Nemo in Slumberland and The Hobbit performed to sold-out audiences.

Basics:

-English Libretto
-60 minutes of playing time. One Intermission optional.
-10 to 15 solo youth roles in treble voice
-Optional 1 to 3 adult players. Adults may portray more than one character.
-SSAB youth chorus ensemble that is featured predominately throughout the work
-Chamber orchestration of no more than 13 instruments, may include piano
-Roles with specific physical requirements are best avoided
-Entirely sung (minimal spoken narration or dialog optional)

Aesthetics:

"Sarasota Opera is dedicated to performing classic works of opera in a manner that is true to the composer’s intentions. In the years that we have been doing productions with our Youth Opera, I have found there are few works of substantial musical value for young people to perform. In our desire to increase the repertoire we are looking for music that is rooted in the classic music style, reflecting how that music is written today without the influence of other genres such musical theater, jazz or other popular idioms.

"The Youth Opera was begun as a way to get young people interested in art music. The works we are looking for should help achieve that goal and be musically sophisticated enough to appeal to adults while still accessible to children."

--Maestro Victor DeRenzi
Artistic Director, Sarasota Opera

Guidelines:

-Copyright clearance must obtained prior to entry
-Submissions must be unpublished works not currently accepted by a publisher for publication or rental
-Works may have been workshopped, but should not have received a premiere performance
-Works should show an awareness of the practical realities of rehearsal and performance
-Sarasota Opera will hold the rights for the premiere performances and one subsequent production

Submission:

-Piano-Vocal format
-Minimum 30% complete (approximately 20 minutes of music)
-Submission must include at least one (1) chorus ensemble number
-Each composer may submit up to three (3) works
-Manuscripts should be legible if hand-written

Submission should include:
-Submission Form
-Letter of Introduction
-Resume
-PDF of PV and Libretto
-Each score must have a title page containing characters, voice types, and brief synopsis for proposed work
-If submitted in hard copy, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return
-Inclusion of a recording of work-shopped scenes, full opera, or midi recording is optional

If no entry is deemed appropriate, the panel reserves the right to not make a selection and no fee will be awarded.

If submitting electronically, please include “Composer Last Name, Composer First Name” at the beginning of each file name (eg: "Doe_Jane_Opera_Title").

Timeline:

September 2015 Submission Deadline
December 2015 Finalists Announced
May 2016 Finalists Submitted Completed PV
August 2016 Final Selection(s) Announced – Winner(s) Complete Orchestration
November 2017 Premiere Production